Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to transistor with wrap-around extrinsic base and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a substrate; a collector region within the substrate; an emitter region over the substrate and which comprises silicon based material; an intrinsic base; and an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; and an inverted “T” shaped spacer which separates the emitter region from the extrinsic base and the collector region from the emitter region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to transistor with wrap-around extrinsic base and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a substrate; a collector region within the substrate; an emitter region over the substrate and which comprises silicon based material; an intrinsic base; and an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; and an inverted “T” shaped spacer which separates the emitter region from the extrinsic base and the collector region from the emitter region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to transistor with wrap-around extrinsic base and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a substrate; a collector region within the substrate; an emitter region over the substrate and which comprises mono-crystal silicon based material; an intrinsic base under the emitter region and comprising semiconductor material; and an extrinsic base surrounding the emitter and over the intrinsic base.

Abstract: Methods of forming semiconductor devices including an air gap extending through at least one metal layer, and the semiconductor device so formed, are disclosed. The air gap has a lower portion that contacts a silicide layer over a gate body of a transistor gate and has an inverted T-shape over the gate body. The air gap reduces the capacitance between a transistor gate in a device layer and adjacent wires and vias used to contact the source and drain of the transistor.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to contact via structures of semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a conductive feature, and a contact via structure. The conductive feature is over the substrate. The contact via structure is electrically coupled to the conductive feature and includes a curved concave profile throughout a height of the contact via structure and an upper width wider than the width of the conductive feature.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to contact via structures of semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a conductive feature over the substrate, and a contact via structure over and electrically coupling to the conductive feature. The contact via structure has a concave profile.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to transistor with wrap-around extrinsic base and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a substrate; a collector region within the substrate; an emitter region over the substrate and which comprises silicon based material; an intrinsic base; and an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; an extrinsic base overlapping the emitter region and the intrinsic base; and an inverted “T” shaped spacer which separates the emitter region from the extrinsic base and the collector region from the emitter region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to transistor with wrap-around extrinsic base and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a substrate; a collector region within the substrate; an emitter region over the substrate and which comprises mono-crystal silicon based material; an intrinsic base under the emitter region and comprising semiconductor material; and an extrinsic base surrounding the emitter and over the intrinsic base.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to contact via structures of semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a conductive feature over the substrate, and a contact via structure over and electrically coupling to the conductive feature. The contact via structure has a concave profile.

Abstract: Methods of forming integrated circuits are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of forming an integrated circuit includes providing a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of gate structures that have sidewalls spacers disposed adjacent to the gate structures. A gap is defined between sidewall spacers of adjacent gate structures. The method proceeds with decreasing an aspect ratio between a width of the gap at an opening thereto and a depth of the gap, wherein an aspect ratio between a width of the gap at a base of the sidewall spacers and the depth of the gap remains substantially unchanged after decreasing the aspect ratio between the width of the gap at the opening thereto.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to MV transistors with reduced gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) and impact ionization. The reduced GILD and impact ionization are achieved without increasing device pitch of the MV transistor. A low voltage (LV) device region and a medium voltage (MV) device region are disposed on the substrate. Non-extended spacers are disposed on the sidewalls of the LV gate in the LV device region; extended L shaped spacers are disposed on the sidewalls of the MV gate in the MV device region. The non-extended spacers and extended L shape spacers are patterned simultaneously. Extended L shaped spacers displace the MV heavily doped (HD) regions a greater distance from at least one sidewall of the MV gate to reduce the GIDL and impact ionization of the MV transistor.

Abstract: Methods of forming integrated circuits are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of forming an integrated circuit includes providing a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of gate structures that have sidewalls spacers disposed adjacent to the gate structures. A gap is defined between sidewall spacers of adjacent gate structures. The method proceeds with decreasing an aspect ratio between a width of the gap at an opening thereto and a depth of the gap, wherein an aspect ratio between a width of the gap at a base of the sidewall spacers and the depth of the gap remains substantially unchanged after decreasing the aspect ratio between the width of the gap at the opening thereto.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to MV transistors with reduced gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) and impact ionization. The reduced GILD and impact ionization are achieved without increasing device pitch of the MV transistor. A low voltage (LV) device region and a medium voltage (MV) device region are disposed on the substrate. Non-extended spacers are disposed on the sidewalls of the LV gate in the LV device region; extended L shaped spacers are disposed on the sidewalls of the MV gate in the MV device region. The non-extended spacers and extended L shape spacers are patterned simultaneously. Extended L shaped spacers displace the MV heavily doped (HD) regions a greater distance from at least one sidewall of the MV gate to reduce the GIDL and impact ionization of the MV transistor.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating device substrates are provided where the device substrates have rounded trench corners in medium voltage (MV) and high voltage (HV) regions thereof to minimize interference with performance of MV or HV devices adjacent thereto. The fabricating methods involve thermally oxidizing a trench-forming area in an MV or HV region on a semiconductor substrate to form a silicon oxide layer having narrowed birds beak edges that create rounded trench shoulders semiconductor substrate. An isolation trench is then formed through the silicon oxide layer, into the semiconductor substrate, removing portion of the silicon oxide layer and leaving the birds beak edges. After removing the birds beak edges, an oxide layer is formed lining the trench and shoulders to create rounded trench corners in the MV or HV region. Trenches having rounded corners may be formed simultaneously with forming trenches in low voltage regions that don't have rounded trench corners.

Abstract: Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating device substrates and integrated circuits are provided. Integrated circuits in accordance with those described herein include a semiconductor substrate with a substrate surface and having a low voltage (LV) region and a second voltage region that is either a medium voltage (MV) region or a high voltage (HV) region. The integrated circuits also have semiconductor devices thereon with isolation trenches in between them. The corners of the trenches in MV and HV regions of the integrated circuit are more rounded than the corners of the trenches in the LV region so that interference by trench corners in the MV and HV regions with the operation and performance of adjacent MV or HV device is minimized.

Abstract: A method of forming a device is presented. The method includes providing a structure having first and second regions. A diffusion barrier is formed between at least a portion of the first and second regions. The diffusion barrier comprises cavities that reduce diffusion of elements between the first and second regions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuits. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to strained channel complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistor structures and fabrication methods thereof. A strained channel CMOS transistor structure comprises a source stressor region comprising a source extension stressor region; and a drain stressor region comprising a drain extension stressor region; wherein a strained channel region is formed between the source extension stressor region and the drain extension stressor region, a width of said channel region being defined by adjacent ends of said extension stressor regions.

Abstract: A structure for a semiconductor device, according to an embodiment, includes: a substantially L-shaped silicide element including a base member and an extended member, wherein the base member extends at least partially into a shallow trench isolation (STI) region such that a substantially horizontal surface of the base member directly contacts a substantially horizontal surface of the STI region; and a contact contacting the substantially L-shaped silicide element.

Abstract: An example embodiment of a strained channel transistor structure comprises the following: a strained channel region comprising a first semiconductor material with a first natural lattice constant; a gate dielectric layer overlying the strained channel region; a gate electrode overlying the gate dielectric layer; and a source region and drain region oppositely adjacent to the strained channel region, one or both of the source region and drain region are comprised of a stressor region comprised of a second semiconductor material with a second natural lattice constant different from the first natural lattice constant; the stressor region has a graded concentration of a dopant impurity and/or of a stress inducing molecule. Another example embodiment is a process to form the graded impurity or stress inducing molecule stressor embedded S/D region, whereby the location/profile of the S/D stressor is not defined by the recess depth/profile.

Abstract: A method of forming a device is presented. The method includes providing a structure having first and second regions. A diffusion barrier is formed between at least a portion of the first and second regions. The diffusion barrier comprises cavities that reduce diffusion of elements between the first and second regions.